Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-08-26
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON, d. c.,
August 90, 1887.

throwing The lands granted TO the
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company
open to settlers. About fifteen years
ago Congress granted ten miles of land
in alternate blocks to this railroad COM
pany OIL condition that they would build
road through them in certain length
of time. This the company did lot do
and now the Secretary says that AS the
company has not fulfilled its obligations
the lands shall be forfeited and thrown
open to settlement. The order takes
effect Immediately, and as the tract con-
tains nearly thirty million acres of the
finest land In the world it can be seen
why the railroad has fought so hard 10
keep it from being forfeited. The decis-
ion is declaration on the part OF
Democratic administration that the
rights and interests of the people are to
he given some consideration as well as
the railroads, something which seemed
impossible few years ago. There are
lot of grants to other railroads now
under consideration, and it Is thought
the same action will be taken on them.
The annual report Of the Postmaster
General will show that during the fiscal
year ending June 30 there were 3,o4s
postoffices established and 800 discon-
tinued. The total number of changes in
postmasters during the year was 1900,
as against 9,547 in 1875 and 22,747 in
1886, making total of 46. l03 Democratic
postmasters appointed by Presiden
Cleveland since his Inauguration. AT
the present time there are very few Re.
publican postmasters holding over
The wreck OH the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad at the "Y" in this city last
week has had the effect of making such
accidents in the future an impossibility
as the District Commissioners have
Issued an order that hereafter no
passenger trains will be allowed 20 use
the "Y." There have been accidents
innumerable at this point for several
years past, and the one last week was
the worst one, but fortunately only one
person, the engineer, was killed, al
though large number were more or
less injured.
For some time past there has been
complaint that the foreman Of the navy
yard in this city, Mr.. Davis, was dis
eliminating against Democratic work.
men there. Finally the complaints be-
came so loud that the Maryland Demo-
cratic Association took the matter up
and asked for the removal of Davis,
who is Marylander. The Secretary Of
the Navy, notwithstanding the matter,
has finally appointed Mr.. John Burton,
of Laurel, as foreman to succeed Davis,
who was removed. At an examination
held last fall of the candidates for the
foremanship of the yard Mr.. Burton
passed with the highest percentage. He
is German Democrat from "way
back"
The failure of the deficiency appro-
priation bill to become law at the last
session of Congress has caused the stop
page Of work on public buildings
throughout the country, the appropria-
tons on many of them having become
exhausted on the first Of July. The
cause of the failure of this bill to become
law was on account of the House
holding back the appropriations till the
last day of the session, and President
Cleveland very properly refused to sign
this bill along with others because he
did not have the time to examine it.
1t having been published here last
week that Commissioner of Internal
Revenue Miller was dangerously i'll at
his home III West Virginia. his friends
deny that he is suffering from Bright's
disease, and say that while he has not
received the benefit expected from his
summers holiday, still there is nothing
dangerous in his condition. This will
be sad news for the many candidates
who were looking out for the prospec-
tive vacancy.
The District Commissioners have been
getting themselves in very hot water of
late by putting out some very obnoxious
regulations. One Of these is that if your
rooster crows in the morning you are
liable to fine for it. Another one was
that every carriage after shutdown
should carry two lights on it, but as this
interfered with the wealthy classes it
was promptly annulled. The most un-
popular of their actions was increasing
the water rates to an excessive degree.
This still stands, and meetings are being
held all over the city to protest against
the increase. a great mary persons
expect to see President Cleveland take
hand i'm the matter, and when he does
the hair will fly.
Professor Spencer F. Baird, director
of the Smithsonian Institution and
President of the United States Fish
Commission, died on Friday last in the
sixty-fifth year of his age. He was
probably the best known scientist in the
country, and his loss will be felt all
over the world, for his publications
were looked upon az standards. He
has published no less than one thousand
titles on scientific matters during his
life.
Editor George w. Haines, of the
Charlestown Spirit, was in town the
other day looking after position in
the Government Printing Office for his
son Claude. He still carries that same
old palm-leaf fan, and looked as warm
as ever. S. WI.